Book holder and cover



(No Model.)

O. H. BARTLETT.

BOOK HOLDER AND COVER. 1 No. 362,925. Patented May 17, 1887.

WITNESSES IJV'VEJVTOR ATENT Eric.

CHARLES H. BARTLETT, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

BOOK HOLDER AND COVER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,925, dated May 17, 1887.

Application filed July 29, 1886.

Serial No. 209,474. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. BARTLETT, of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book Holders and Covers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon,whieh form a part ofthis specification, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the device as applied to a closed book and at tached to its proper support. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the book open and the means to prevent the removal of the cover. Fig. 3 is a view of the cover and connected attaching strips in perspective. Fig. 4 is a detail view in perspective, showing how the said strips pass around the retaining clip or bar.

This invention relates to improvements in book holders and covers, and has for its objects to provide means whereby a book may be kept in place upon a desk, table, or other support, and permit the book to be easily opened for reference.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination of the parts, hereinafter described, and particularly specified in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a proper book-support, such as a table, desk, or bracket; and D, a retainingclip secured to the same, preferably in a trans verse direction. The said clip is triangular in cross-section, with its upper edge rounded, and is secured upon the support by means of screws or in other suitable manner.

B designates a book, and E the cover thereof, of suitable material and of the ordinary construction, so that it can be readily put on and taken off when detached from the support, as the cover will, as is well known, hecome loose when the book is open.

0 G and O O are attaching-strips having their outer ends respectively secured to the opposite leaves of the cover, the points of attachment of the one set alternating with those of the other, so that they will not come in contact with or in any way interfere with the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The said strips are made of any suitable material, preferably non-elastic, or very slightly elastic. The inner ends of the strips are secured between the support and the retaining-clip, pass ing below the latter from opposite sides, so that when the closed book lies 011 the right side of the said clip, as shown in Fig. 1, the strips 0 will be wound around the same, while the strips 0 will not; but if the book lies 011 the left side of the clip the positions of the two sets of strips will be reversed. When the book is open, as shown in Fig. 2, both sets of strips will be wound around the retainingclip. The number of strips in each set is pref erably two, though there may be more if the book is unusually large and heavy.

It is evident that when the book is closed it cannot be disengaged from the cover, and that the strips, as shown in Fig. 1, will therefore retain it in place on the support, only allowing it to be opened over the retaining-clip, with the upper edge of the same bearing against its back. When so opened, the upper edge of said clip will press the middle portion of the cover up against the back of the book, so as to keep it tight thereon and prevent the disengagement of the book.

The device is useful wherever large and heavy reference-books are used, as in hotels, &c., but is especially designed for use in schools, as the pupils are liable, by careless handling and removal of the books, to break their bindings and loosen their leaves, so as to require frequent rcbindin g. The retainingclip, by taking up the slack of the cover when the book is open and keeping it at all times at about the same tension on the book, causes it to retain its form, so that it does not become bulged by constant change of tension, but always prescnts a neat appearance, and has its life lengthened.

The retaining-clip D may, if desired, have a semicircular or any other suitable cross-see tion; but it is preferably triangular or semicircular. In some cases the cover may be dis pensed with and the strips attached directly to the book-covers. The use of the detachable cover is, however, preferable.

Having described my invention, I clain1-=- 1. The combination, with a boolrcover of ordinary construction, of the two sets of attaching-strips having their outer ends respectively attached at alternating points to the outside of the opposite leaves of said cover, and their inner ends respectively attached at alternating points to the support on which the book rests, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the support A and the retainingwlip D, secured thereto and provided with a rounded upper edge, of the book-cover E and the two sets, G O and G C,

'of attaching-strips, with their outer ends respectively secured at alternating points to the opposite leaves of the said cover and their inner ends respectively passing at alternating points and from opposite sides between the support and retaining-clip and secured between the same, all substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of the book, the two sets of attaching-strips having their outer ends se- 20 cured at alternating points to the outside of 5. the opposite boards of the book-binding, and the retaining-clip secured to a proper support,

' and having the inner ends of the sets of attaching-strips respectively passing below it 25 from opposite sides at alternating points and secured between said clip and the support thereof, substantially as specified. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two 0 witnesses.

CHARLES H. BARTLETT.

Witnesses:

JAMES DUSHANE, CHAS. W. WILEY. 

